by MUHAMMAD SAHIMI

Press Roundup provides a selected summary of news from the Farsi and Arabic press and excerpts where the source is in English. Tehran Bureau has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. Any views expressed are the authors' own. Please refer to theMedia Guideto help put the stories in perspective. You can follow breaking news stories on ourTwitterfeed.

11:40 p.m. IRDT, 9 Mordad/July 30 The board of directors of the Iranian Hemophilia Society has informed the World Federation of Hemophilia that the lives of tens of thousands of children are being endangered by the lack of proper drugs, a consequence of international economic sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic. According to the Society, despite misleading statements from certain elements in the West, the export of drugs to Iran has not been banned; however, the sanctions imposed on the Central Bank of Iran and the country's other financial institutions have severely disrupted the purchase and transfer of medical goods. Describing itself as a nonpolitical organization that has been active for 45 years, the Society condemned the "inhumane and immoral" U.S. and E.U. sanctions and appealed to international organizations for help.

This adds to the growing number of reports that many crucial drugs are unavailable in Iran due to the sanctions imposed on Iran's financial institutions, which are no longer able to provide lines of credit for their importation.

Rezaei: After Syria it will be Iran's turn

In a nationally broadcast television program, Mohsen Rezaei, secretary-general of the Expediency Discernment Council and former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, issued a dire prediction about the crisis in Syria, reflecting the Islamic Republic's mounting concerns about developments in the region.

After toppling the regime of Bashar al-Assad, the United States and other enemies of the Islamic Republic will come after us.... What is happening in Syria and the economic sanctions [imposed on Iran] are just the beginning.... They [the United States and its allies] know that so long as there is Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Syrian regime, it would be very difficult to attack us because we have a long hand in the Mediterranean Sea. They want Assad toppled and Hezbollah weakened so that they can control the missiles that can attack Israel from [Lebanon] 70 kilometers away. Then they want to control Iraq and influence Iran. But as a start they have imposed sanctions on Iran to weaken it.

He rejected the view espoused by many senior officials that the United States does not have the power to attack Iran. "I do not accept the notion that the United States cannot attack us, it is we who have prevented it from attacking us. If the U.S. has not attacked us it is because it is aware of Iran's [capacity for a] counterattack."

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem is visiting Tehran to "convey the gratitude of Syria's leader for Iran's principled position concerning Syria." He met with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Secretary-General of the Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili, and Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi. During a joint press conference with Salehi, Moallem said, "We have called on the opposition parties to turn to negotiations with the government." Salehi advised countries in the region to deal "rationally" with the issue, warning, "It is a whimsical hallucination to assume that change of government in Syria will bring peace and stability to the region." Unless other Middle Eastern states adopt a "benevolent" approach toward developments in Syria, he said, all will bear losses.

Meanwhile, 245 Majles deputies released a statement expressing their support for the Assad regime. They also declared that they back any reform undertaken by the Syrian government that would lead to "people's participation in deciding their fates." The hardline Kayhan newspaper followed suit with its lead headline on Monday: "Iran's Decisive Support for Syria."

Iran to file complaints against U.S. in international court

Majid Jafarzadeh, head of international legal affairs in the Islamic Republic's Foreign Ministry, said that Iran is preparing a complaint against the United States and the European Union to be submitted to the International Court of Justice in the Hague. The complaint will be about the economic sanctions that the United States and its allies have imposed on Iran outside of and much harsher than those authorized under United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Khamenei again emphasizes "resistance economy"

In a meeting with a group of scientists, industrialists, and inventors, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei again emphasized the necessity of what he has been referring to since last week as a "resistance economy" in response to sanctions. Declaring that Iran is at a historical juncture, Khamenei said, "The problems and difficulties are minuscule compared with the determination and ideals of this nation.... The resistance economy is not a slogan. It is a fact that can be materialized."

Conditions of Karroubi's detention "worse than Evin"

Mohammad Taghi Karroubi, son of Green Movement leader Mehdi Karroubi, wrote in his blog that the conditions of his father's house arrest are worse than those suffered by the political prisoners in Evin Prison. He said that his father should either be transferred to his own home or incarcerated in Evin as the result of a legal process. He compared his father's detention with the house arrests of Dr. Mohammad Mosaddegh during the reign of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi and of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Freeing political prisoners Khatami's main concern

Mehdi Karroubi's eldest son, Hossein Karroubi, reported that former President Mohammad Khatami has told him that his primary focus is on freeing the political prisoners, including the elder Karroubi, Mir Hossein Mousavi, and his wife, Dr. Zahra Rahnavard. According to Hossein Karroubi, Khatami told him that he sees signs that indicate the political prisoners may be released, though the ex-president offered no specifics. He also said that Khatami emphasized that the reformists must ask the views of the Green Movement leaders before deciding what to do about next year's presidential election.

Ahmadinejad cabinet supports First Vice President Rahimi

A letter addressed to the judiciary written by a minister in Ahmadinejad's cabinet and reportedly signed by all but one cabinet member condemns the accusations made against First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi in a major embezzlement case even though no charges have been brought against him. The trial of several people accused of embezzlement in the Bimeh Iran insurance company case has been underway for some time. Over the past few weeks, Rahimi has filed complaints against several newspapers that have reported on his alleged involvement in the case.

Bahareh Hedayat given medical furlough

Bahareh Hedayat, a member of the central committee of Dafter-e Tahkim-e Vahdat (Office for Consolidation of Unity), an umbrella group for many university students' organizations, has been granted a three-day medical furlough to seek treatment for her kidney illness. Charged with "insulting the Supreme Leader and the president" and "propaganda against the nezaam [political system]," she was sentenced after a show trial to ten years' incarceration.

Seven bloggers arrested in Tabriz

Colonel Ghasemloo, head of East Azerbaijan province's cyberspace police, said that seven bloggers have been arrested in Tabriz, the provincial capital, for conducting "unauthorized communications." At least four of the bloggers are under the age of 20.

Two Baha'i prisoners barred from having visitors

Two Baha'i prisoners, Zhinoos Noorani and Roofia Beydaghi, who are imprisoned in Semnan, have been barred from having any visitors. The punishment was imposed after they returned to detention from authorized furloughs and were told that public reports about prison conditions had been attributed to them. The Baha'i religion is not recognized by the Iranian government.

Arrest of nationalist-religious activist

Abdollah Abbasi, a nationalist-religious political activist in Kurdistan, has been arrested. The reason for his detention is not yet clear.

Arrest and conviction of four in the Kurdish region

Shahoo Partovi and Shamzin Ahmadnejad, two Kurdish activists in the West Azerbaijan city of Mahabad, have been convicted, respectively, of "working with an anti-regime party" and "security offenses." Partovi was sentenced to three years' incarceration; Ahmadnejad, to one year. Two other Kurdish activists, Rasool Ghader-Haji and Farhang Evasi, have also been arrested.

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